Ok confession and dilemma

[courtzrocks]

Ok So i wasn't going to go to the bird fair on Sunday but my auntie and nana asked me if i wanted to go cos they were only going in the morning which was good cos i had parrot preschool at 3 (which was pretty cool cos the guy had a blue and gold macaw and a green wing...AHH SO COOL). So anyway, my nana bought a rosy bourke and split normal/rosy bourke. And I tried to stop myself but I couldn't.....I got a green cheek conure..oops. She isn't tame at all which is good cos I love the feeling of taming a bird myself.

However..the dilemma...My dad got so angry and said i have to give her away....I havent spoken to him since..if he brings it up i will tell him i have to tame her first and hopefully once that has happened he will forget about it...She is so cute! (She has been DNA'd and i got a certificate). She was only $70. There were some for $50 but they were crazy! She is about 6 months old and this morning I put my finger in the cage and she was so close to it! Matches has seen her, the GC seems very interested in Matches and Matches I think is kinda annoyed cos thats HER travel cage LOL.

I'm hoping dad will change his mind but we will see...if not then im hoping mum will take her once she is tame.

My little confession.

[pinkdevil]

NEVER repeat NEVER go to a bird sale with even change in your pocket or else you WILL come away with a bird! lol. Even if you are only "window shopping" you WILL come away with a bird!

Oh dear, shame about your dad. You could always use the ....(tears needed here)..." but dad, sniff, I was getting it for YOU"!!!!.....major waterworks coming up....baahhhhh...more tears...more sobbing.... Then the grand finale....lots of gasping for breath between uncontrollable sobs...then wammo..."NOW YOU HAVE SPOILT THE SURPRISE!!!". At this point a good exit is to run into your room, still bawling madly...slam the door, mumbling how HE always SPOILS your surprises for him. A good idea is to turn UP the volume level of crying as the walls tend to muffle sound and if he is a little hard of hearing............ Just a thought


Tasha

[courtzrocks]

LOL! I told him on the phone on the way home from parrot preschool..when i got home i didnt even look at him and went to my room and slammed the door. If he talks to me i do have some arguments i can use like "I will pay for it and have i ever asked you to do anything for Matches? I do it all myself. I have never asked you to pay for anything for her. But it seems to be ok that you can give brent (my brother) open access to your wallet when i never did at that age cos i had a job and paid for movies, food, outings, petrol and car things all myself....yeah thats really fair, no favourites in this house!!" also i can end it with angry tears and a magnificent storm off. LOL!

Plus i have other methods up my sleeve. Plus my nana was going to say she got two birds so at least i didnt...also i can say at least it is not a dog or another tattoo (he hates i have a tattoo lol).

[vankarhi]

well congratulations.........I think

Tasha you naughty girl you. Sounds like you have had lots of practice ;D

[courtzrocks]

Did i get ripped off? Just wondering cos I think $70 for a green cheek conure with DNA cert is pretty good? She hasnt been handled by people but I do miss taming birds. Used to tame baby cockatiels when i was younger and it felt so good when you have one that is so timid or agressive that turns into the most calm cool bird. And you can say "I tamed him/her". Plus she is 6 months old so do you think its easier to tame her cos she is still young or should i have gotten the 2 yr old male with also no human contact? I think this morning she was settled a bit more.

[pinkdevil]

vankarhi said:

Tasha you naughty girl you. Sounds like you have had lots of practice ;D

lol I wish. My parents are old school and were very strict (They aren't now, I think it is coz they are too old to fight back) lol.

[pinkdevil]

I think if you wanted to tame her down then younger is definately best!

[courtzrocks]

Cool, Ill try putting my fingers in the cage again when i get home. And I'll maybe put some sunflower kernels in my fingertips and see if she takes it, she hasnt yet but who knows? She might be more calm, if not i will just keep trying.

[pinkdevil]

She might take a little while to settle in her new home with you. You did only get her yesterday didn't you? Or was it last Sunday? lol

Tasha

[courtzrocks]

Yesterday, I was so happy this morning when i had my finger 2 cms away from her in her cage and she didnt move. I think maybe cos she saw me playing with Matches and giving Matches treats she calmed down a bit. I didnt want to push my luck and move it in further, i was happy with that. She is just so cute i wanna grab her and snuggle her but i dont want to scare her so ill hold back.

[pinkdevil]

lol yeah it is very hard to let them settle in first before you smother them with love hey lol. I know I am like that when I get a new bird and I need help from Shane to restrain myself lol

[courtzrocks]

I have Matches but she doesnt like pats, oh well ill just have to kiss her double to make up for not being able to snuggle the GCC...by the way anyone have any ideas for names?

[vankarhi]

I would allow your new bird a couple of days to settle ......... I know others out there say "to wait a few weeks and let them get used to you and settle properly"......but I like to "get stuck into it"....so to speak.

There is no need to start with full on training, but even just getting them finger tame first then teach them to step up.......is training.

In the past I have used a tame pet to help teach a new bird to see that I am not a scary human and that I will not eat them ;D Use Matches ......... put her on your shoulder, take her out of her cage, take her up to GC cage and get Matches to do a couple of her tricks.........show the GC that Matches is not scared of you.......this will help because the new bird will watch with curiosity at what you and "the other bird" are doing etc etc.

Do I make sense???

Oh I thought the name "GC" was a good one ;D I am into dog training and am watching a Greg Derrett DVD called Great Dog Shame about the Handler and his dogs are called, JT, GC and Fern. I thought GC for you new one as it is the initials ;D I had a tiel once I named B'Fa........B for Birdie ;D

[Jane]

Congrats Courtney Its impossible to go to a sale and not buy a bird isn't it Was the sale good? I couldn't go because we drove to the Gold Coast last weekend to buy a Regent hen so that was my 'bird favour' used up for a while, oh and I always buy birds if I go and already have way way way too many and am renovating a bathroom so am broke too

[vankarhi]

I think $70 is a fair price for an untamed GC. You can pay around $150 to $250 for a handraised baby. Yes a younger bird is preferential to an older bird........but older birds can still be tamed and can still make wonderful pets........just a bit more time and patience needs to go into them that is all. ;D

[avinet]

courtzrocks said:

She hasnt been handled by people but I do miss taming birds. Used to tame baby cockatiels when i was younger and it felt so good when you have one that is so timid or agressive that turns into the most calm cool bird.

Don't expect a 6 month old Green-cheek to tame as easily as a cockatiel baby. From my personal experience I wouldn't even try with a 6 month old Green-cheek, I would always go for a hand raised baby. Cockatiel babies are easy, I've tamed hundreds, but my attempts with aviary raised Green-cheek Conures have all been less than successful, even with 2 month old babies. Still birds do vary a lot in temperament and it may work out OK.

cheers,

Mike

[zooyouthben]

i am not trying to be rude here but hear me out.

I think it was very irresponsible for you to by a Bird without the consent of the Home Owner)Head of household or whatever. Its their house so ultimaltey what they say goes, Your father may not ever let you get another bird now (at his house) because of the immaturity you have shown. I have always been allowed any pet i wanted, but i had to show that i had the correct housing feed and care skills for the species, and by the sounds of it this bird is living in a carry box? (correct me if i am wrong) hardly a good life for a healthy active flighted aviary bird .

I would get rid of it asap and hopefully you will be allowed more birds in the future

Again i am not trying to start a fight or anything like that, just being realistic and putting in my 2 cents

[avinet]

zooyouthben said:

i am not trying to be rude here but hear me out.

I'm with Ben here, buying any animal on impulse is not a good idea, and I don't blame your father for his reaction - I would have had the same reaction if my daughters had done the same thing. Fortunately they realised they shared a house with others and always talked over any planned pet purchase. Some we vetoed some we agreed to.

cheers

Mike

[Karen]

The good thing with Green Cheeks is their "monkey see monkey do" attitude to life.
When I bought Alex he was around 10 weeks old and handraised. I housed him in with Con my 4yo male GCC. After awhile of watching Alex play with me and me feeding him treats, Con became curious and 'tasted' me, when he found out I wasn't poisonous he allowed me to feed him treats too.
Con never became tame but he lost the urge to be as far away from me as possible in the aviary.
After I rehomed Alex Con was still coming up for treats and even passed the trait onto his girlfriend when I brought her home.

[courtzrocks]

Dad is over it now...i knew he would do that, she is living in Matches travel cage which is pretty much big enough for Matches to live in herself, not a carrier, no way!! It is a normal cage (i just call it a travel cage cos i can fit it in the car unlike her normal cage, its big enough for matches to flap around in too) I am going to buy her a nice huge cage and Matches a new travel cage so i have travel cages for both of them.

Im not sure about her never having human contact?? I played with Matches infront of her and showed her matches was getting treats. She is very interested in Matches. Then she was taking seeds from my fingers through the cage. Last night i took her into the bathroom and she was running around then she came and hid on my skirt and then she hid in my shirt. I was scratching her and she was closing her eyes too. And this morning i had my hand in her cage with seed in it and she jumped on my hand and ate the seed. She is coming around much faster than i expected. She still hasnt bitten me hard yet...i am still waiting for it though.

I asked my nana if i should get the bird and she said to just get it and tell dad straight out that i got it cos his reaction is ALWAYS the same, my auntie said exactly the same thing..this is what he does....he gets angry, you leave him, he thinks about it, he drops it but gives you a speech on how i have to look after it and blah blah. Or he will again say "so when are you getting rid of it?" and i will cry and he will get over it. I dont want anymore birds until i move out so he doesnt have to worry about me bringing home any more. I will be making an appointment to take her in to get checked out soon. I didnt really want a handraised baby cos thats too easy. Matches was too easy, thats why i had to teach her some tricks straight up cos i felt like i had done nothing to gain her trust at home.

I have a feeling once she is tame my dad will like her better than matches, she seems to like scratches and thats what my dad likes with birds..Matches HATES scratches and pats. And i do know why dad got angry, i think he thinks a dog is next Lol...i dont want any more pets until i move out. It's weird cos he grew up with heaps of animals and they took strays home to their mum and dad and stuff but he acts like he doesnt like animals...i think it's because his girlfriend (who doesnt live here anyway) is scared of birds. I dont take them out when she is over and when i do they are in my room. He really likes Matches and Im sure he will like this little girl.